North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program (EEP) CVS/EEP Vegetation Monitoring Protocol

U.S. Army Corpsof EngineersWilmington District

North Carolina North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement ProgramEcosystem Enhancement Program

(EEP)(EEP)

CVS/EEP Vegetation Monitoring CVS/EEP Vegetation Monitoring ProtocolProtocol

Why are we doing this…Why are we doing this…

?

The Why…The Why…

MOA Mandate and overarching goalsMOA Mandate and overarching goals Current Status of Vegetative Current Status of Vegetative

MonitoringMonitoring OpportunityOpportunity

Overarching…Overarching…

EEP Monitoring has three primary EEP Monitoring has three primary objectives:objectives: Develop functional measuresDevelop functional measures Demonstrate net ecological benefit at project Demonstrate net ecological benefit at project

and watershed/catchment scaleand watershed/catchment scale Change/guide regulatory policy of success Change/guide regulatory policy of success

criteria through monitoring datacriteria through monitoring data

Current Status of Veg Current Status of Veg MonitoringMonitoring

260 woody stems/acre surviving at 260 woody stems/acre surviving at year 5 of monitoringyear 5 of monitoring

Current Status of Veg Current Status of Veg Monitoring (the before…)Monitoring (the before…)

Based on wetland hardwood Based on wetland hardwood guidance from mid-70sguidance from mid-70s Pushes successionPushes succession Many different sampling techniquesMany different sampling techniques Compared to what??Compared to what?? Variability of sitesVariability of sites

• streams, wetlands, marshes, BMPs??streams, wetlands, marshes, BMPs??

Current Status of Veg Current Status of Veg Monitoring (the after…)Monitoring (the after…)

Based on established techniqueBased on established technique Standardization of samplingStandardization of sampling

• Examines other characteristics besides Examines other characteristics besides survivalsurvival

Analysis of community trendsAnalysis of community trends Compared to existing reference Compared to existing reference

databasedatabase

OpportunityOpportunity

Number of projectsNumber of projects Location of projectsLocation of projects

USE THE DATA!!!!USE THE DATA!!!!

OpportunityOpportunity Number of projectsNumber of projects

Design Bid BuildDesign Bid Build• 110 projects in monitoring now110 projects in monitoring now• 56 projects in some phase of 56 projects in some phase of

design/constructiondesign/construction Full DeliveryFull Delivery

• 75 projects in monitoring this year75 projects in monitoring this year• 75 more in design and construction75 more in design and construction

Total-316 projectsTotal-316 projects

Ecoregions for Functional AssessmentEcoregions for Functional Assessment

Ecoregions with Project LocationsEcoregions with Project Locations

Challenges to MonitoringChallenges to Monitoring

ConsistencyConsistency Documentation of pre-restoration Documentation of pre-restoration

conditions (in a large developing program conditions (in a large developing program pressured by a time commitment)pressured by a time commitment)

Trend assessment with limited evaluation Trend assessment with limited evaluation period (and data points, costs constraints)period (and data points, costs constraints)

Site specific vs watershed (scale)Site specific vs watershed (scale) Functional measuresFunctional measures

So what does CVS do for EEP?So what does CVS do for EEP?

Consistency (save $$??)Consistency (save $$??) Data management/analysis (save $$)Data management/analysis (save $$) Reference community info (save $$)Reference community info (save $$) Better data for Closeout Better data for Closeout

EEP Monitoring FolksEEP Monitoring FolksRita Mroczek-Wetland specialist Steve Roberts-Vegetation specialist

Greg Melia- Stream specialist

Kevin Miller- Research/Grants Coordinator

Zack Mondry- Stream specialist

NC Ecosystem Enhancement ProgramNC Ecosystem Enhancement Program1652 Mail Service Center1652 Mail Service CenterRaleigh, NC 27699-1652Raleigh, NC 27699-1652

(919) 715-0476(919) 715-0476www.nceep.net

Mac HauptMac HauptMac.HauptMac.Haupt@ncmail.net

919-715-1070919-715-1070